“I decided I HAD to do one more placement. He was physically violent and verbally abusive. I felt like a failure as a mom. I never even thought about trauma training.”
Sonia Beltz
‘We have 2 caucasian girls, one is 11 months and the other 4.’ She gets 2 multi-racial kids out of the car.’: Mom fosters 11 kids, shares lessons learned about trauma
‘My heart fluttered as we walked up. I chased him down and pulled him away from his mother. I cried for days.’: Foster mom addresses trauma, tantrums, ‘It’s the best thing I’ve ever done’
“They’d never had a bed or a bedtime, had never seen a vegetable or a toothbrush, and weren’t potty trained. ‘This will be worth it.’”
‘You can only adopt if you have a relationship with the birth parents.’ I got months of abusive texts. Dad was loud and rude.’: Couple adopt foster son after roller coaster, ‘I’d do it all again’
“NOTHING prepared me for family visits. I didn’t know how to deal with the abuse. I felt betrayed and manipulated. But I’d do it all again.”
‘Are you sitting down?’ I was carrying a little one incompatible with life. I’ve prayed like I’ve never prayed.’: Mom grieves loss of 2 newborns to rare chromosome condition
“I was completely inconsolable, bawling, unable to pull myself together. ‘I just don’t want to ever have to do this!’ She had lived, breathed, and been loved completely.”
‘My parents had over 30 temporary placements and adopted 9 children. I struggled with my identity. I didn’t fit.’: Man thanks adoptive family, ‘I’m meant to do something important’
“He was sitting with my uncle. ‘We can give her a break and take care of him.’ Our home was chaos but in the best way.”
‘How much longer?’ we asked. ‘We can expect twice as long as a straight couple.’ The call came. She was 17.’: Gay dads share open adoption journey, ‘It’s the gift of a lifetime’
“’How do you feel about having children?’ It was on our second date. I was in Atlanta at a business conference. My cell phone rang. ‘We’ve been matched!’ Triton and I burst into tears.”
‘He craned his neck, trying to see me as they drove away. Every day, he wondered where I was.’: Foster parents help create law after separation from foster son, ‘We are so thankful for this victory’
“We fought for his rights and best interests. We were the only family he had ever known. I will never ever forget the caseworker driving him away. It was the most heartbreaking, excruciatingly painful thing. As soon as he left our home, we were working to change the laws.”
‘Is that BIG bed for ME?’ Her eyes grew wide. She ran to say goodbye to child services. I cried myself to sleep.’: Single woman becomes foster mom, ‘I couldn’t possibly love her more’
“The reality that this child was now my responsibility and would be staying for an indefinite amount of time started to set in. This was it. I was a mom! That night I cried happy tears once as I watched this little girl sleep in the room next to mine.”
‘I was on mother number 3. She cut off contact. ‘Were you in Terre Haute, IN in 1967?’ My heart was racing.’: Adoptee finds father after 50 years, ‘Our relationship is magical’
“He didn’t have any idea what to do with a little girl. I tucked the papers away and forgot about them. Suddenly, I couldn’t breathe. Being rejected by the same woman twice in your life is a hard pill to swallow.”
‘Is your Internet not working either?’ I spit my coffee out. Um, excuse me, what? My head was literally spinning.’: Mom shares hilarious first virtual day of school, ‘You are not in this alone’
“I hear both my husband’s and my phone start pinging like crazy and knocks on the door. I had to choose to either laugh or cry. It was the first day of virtual learning.”
